SOPHIA VAN VUUREN
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I have practiced as a Psychologist with EMDR since 1996 in South Africa, Vancouver and now in Victoria, Canada. I am still in awe about my client’s responses towards healing and growth!! I had my training in South Africa from an Australian Psychologist Gary Fulscher and the South African Supervisor, Rehana Seedat- Ravat.
My years of experience as a practicing Psychologist has taught me that we have to do a thorough in-depth Client History to determine whether our clients have Complex Trauma or a single event trauma. EMDR is not the “miracle cure” that all clients and sometimes Therapists are hoping for, but it can guide them to recovery. Complex PTSD just has so many layers, that it is a gradual process, even with EMDR. You do need to expand your Therapeutic skills wider than EMDR to be fully equipped to be helpful to all your clients.
Complex Trauma needs to be treated with a solid background in the many layers of PTSD and Childhood trauma, when dissociation is present, otherwise we can retraumatize the client, severely.
Clients with a concussion history, due to MVA or other reasons need to be carefully assessed for bi-lateral eye- processing, as their eyes often get stuck in di-version due to the MVA and EMDR eye-movements can traumatize them further.
This is why the website and EMDR Discussion groups is very helpful to protect our clients and to grow as Practitioners.